sarea: (yeasty goodness)
Since it was starting to get warm this week (ha, what a joke, it SNOWED this morning, just to spite me -.-), I brought my sourdough starters out of hibernation. Thought I had forgotten about them? No! Every time I opened my fridge and saw them sitting there, I thought wistfully of the time I'd get to make my own bread again. Supermarket bread just isn't cutting it anymore, I need my homemade artisan bread! The problem is, it's really hard to deal with yeast during the frigid winter. I ended up making the tough decision to toss out 2 of my 3 starters. I couldn't do it before because they were like pets to me. (Yes, it was easier to cut the cord when they'd been out of sight for months.)

I ended up making a garlic parmesan loaf that came out spectacularly. I was a little nervous about baking bread again and having to relearn everything as it's been so long, but it's like riding a bike, I guess. More details about the sourdough starters and the specifics of the bread I made at my food blog, but the bread looked so awesome I had to share the pictures here as well.

Can you believe I made these? )
sarea: (cupcake)
I woke up today and it was overcast. Driving to work, it was 57°F. So I guess summer's over? It was a nice 3 weeks, I guess. /grumpy

Do you guys ever feel like maybe you have too strong a grasp of the written word, and it works against you? I don't mean that in a conceited way. I mean that I have lately experienced from multiple sources that people don't communicate clearly, so I 'misunderstand' what they MEAN even though I am correct in what they are actually SAYING. Does that make any sense? So many times I have to read between the lines or try and forget the actual meaning of what I'm reading, so that I can get what the other person is trying to get across. So I start responding to what they've written, and they're like, "Okay, but that's not what I meant." And I'm like, "Yes, but it's what you said." And they're like, "Well, I didn't know that by saying it like that you would take it to mean xxxx." And I'm like, "Well I took it to mean xxxx because that is exactly the meaning of what you said!" And on and on it goes.

The latest experience along those lines has to do with the sourdough cultures, and the directions I've been trying to follow. But I've realized that, despite it being an actual published 'expert' book and written by someone with a doctorate, it still needed a better editor. It's not that it's not in plain English -- that part is fine. It's the sentence structures that don't convey the true meaning of the words, making everything kind of muddled instead of clear. But the good news is, I think I've figured out what's goiing on with my cultures. )
sarea: (Default)
More fun/useful sourdough links and recipes, mostly for me to keep as a resource but if they help someone else, awesome. :-)

Links to yeasty goodness. )
sarea: (Default)
1) First things first, and this is first, since it's had a big impact on my life for so long -- I'm quitting WoW. How it came to be. )

2) I hate exercise with a fiery passion. Some people say that they don't like it, but are always glad after they've done it, because of the endorphins or whatever and they feel good. I also feel good after I've done it, not because it feels good, but because it's a relief to know that I did my daily duty and now I have the rest of the day to not think about having to do it. I should never have gotten a treadmill! Now I'm forced to use it!

3) The sourdough cultures. Still nothing, and today is Day 4 of the washing cycle. I know that 5-6 days is possible, but I'm impatient and frankly I'm starting to wonder if they're viable anymore. I get bubbles, but nowhere near the amount that would indicate a full working/active culture. They smell pleasantly sour, of sourdough, and the hooch is on the top. So the contamination phase should be over. But nothing is haaaappppeninnggggg. I did another wash cycle this morning, and have conducted an experiment. What I did. )

4) Friday Night Lights. Stuff about the show from S1. )
sarea: (Default)
So, I have 3 new pets. Their names are Italy (Camaldoli), Italy (Ischia Island), and France.

Who or what are these new pets? you might ask. They are sourdough starters! I go on and on about bread and yeast. Any other bakers out there? )

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